Be My Eyes
by AberrantAtHeart
Summary: Strength is measured through courage. Test its abilities, not with physical strength but to withstand it mentally. With his goals set high and a promise to keep, Naruto may have bit off more than he can chew. And then there was Itachi. Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Edited: 1/20/2012**  
**

**Story:**

Be My Eyes

**Rating/Warning(s):**

Rated M for violence, the occasional profanity, sexual situations

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Naruto, or its characters.

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Summary:**

Strength is measured through courage. Test its abilities, not with physical strength but the ability to withstand it mentally. With his goals set high and a promise to keep; Naruto may have bit off more than he can chew. And then there was Itachi.

Chapter 1:

Running.

Running was one thing Naruto was perfect at. The way his legs moved on their own accord, feet scraping viciously at the ground beneath them, echoing throughout the long, narrow alleys. His muscles burned, begging for a break, but he always kept pushing because he could make it through if he just kept running. He ignored the way his strides got shorter, slamming heavily into the ground as the adrenaline wore off and exhaustion kicked in.

The twists and turns of the alleys were becoming more unfamiliar by the second. He'd learnt these back ways through the village so well, yet now, when his life depended on it, he had made a wrong turn. His feet came to a complete stop and Naruto barely concealed the relief at getting a chance to catch his breath. The relief was brief, almost nonexistent, as he stared in front of him.

His wide blue eyes glided up the taunting brick wall. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide; it seemed all his luck had run out. Salty water pooled around the edges of his eyes, slowly dripping down his scarred cheek. Naruto wanted to be strong, to be bold and hold no fear, but the realization of what was going to happen slowly started to sink deep within his mind. This time seemed different than the other chases; more foreboding. He had no way out. No tricks up his sleeve. They'd backed Naruto into a corner with no way out except the way he'd come in. An escape was unattainable at this point.

Maybe if Naruto had turned down a different alley or climbed to a roof when he had the chance, he could have made it to a main street near his home safely. But that was all just a distant thought of 'what if,' and there wasn't anything he could to fix his mistake.

Naruto's head whipped around, each breath becoming shallower, grasping on to what he thought were his last moments. His eyes narrowed in determination, but with the obvious fear lying just beneath the surface. Part of Naruto's mind, the part that yearned to curl up in a ball and cling to what little life he had left, told him to make a hasty retreat for a pile of trash and crates and hope he remained out of sight. The other part, the one Naruto acted on more often than not, made him hold his ground and remain out in the open to await the inevitable.

He could already hear it, the sounds of shouting and weapons clanking. His body twitched as Naruto's courage slowly dwindled until it was nearly gone. Rough feet padded the ground with much less grace then Naruto's had, warning him of their close whereabouts.

If he had been any other citizen of Konoha, villagers would have stopped to help right away, appalled at the state of the poor young boy. Unfortunately, Naruto was not in this predicament purely by coincidence and he wasn't just an average villager; the demon dwelling inside him, the Kyuubi No Kitsune, made sure of that.

The Kyuubi was the very reason for Naruto's current situation, the cause for his horrid childhood and all the hate directed towards someone too young to understand any of it.

His destroyed, light blue shirt with a dull orange swirl lay loosely on his small form, ripped to shreds and barely hanging on. His dark blue shorts were in a similar condition as well as being soaked. Naruto gazed down at the wetness, wondering if it was accumulated sweat or if he had fallen into a puddle of water. With a closer observation, he could see tiny drops of thick red trailing from the shorts' end, lightly hitting the concrete with an inaudible sound.

Blood.

As the yells and running became louder, getting closer, Naruto ran to the corner of the alley, back against the wall as he searched the area for anything he could use to protect himself. He knew it wouldn't stop the attacks or help the pain, but maybe it could delay them for a while or even scare a few of them off. If that didn't work…well he could pray the old man Hokage would find him soon.

The crystal ball never seemed to have Naruto in its favor. He wondered idly how long it would take the Hokage to see what was going on.

Finally the running stopped, but the voices didn't, a crowd of villagers now blocking Naruto's only way out. Without a moment of uncertainty, the villager's renewed their onslaught of both verbal and physical abuse. As usual it started with the loud, harsh name calling and trash being tossed in his direction. The calmer part of their torture didn't last long though. It never did. The shouts took an audible tone of anger, their words becoming more like noises of frustration and despise. Trash and rubble was forgotten in favor of sharp weapons and strong fists.

Naruto could argue he was used to it all, but honestly, the panic and anxiousness never subsided or weakened. If anything it grew stronger with each attack as the villagers seemed to develop a confidence in their actions.

He tried to pretend he was somewhere else, picturing tall green grass swaying in the wind, his hand reaching out to touch the soft tips and let them tickle his palms. Happy thoughts like this were a welcome distraction from reality.

Fighting back was out of the question and Naruto would never have considered it in the first place. He couldn't raise a hand against the people whose affection he desperately wanted. And what would it do if he did? His already malnourished form only added to the list of reasons not to retaliate, along with the consequences Naruto would face and how little help his untrained arm would be against his offenders.

"Please stop!" Naruto tried frantically to keep calm, but the fear was beginning to take control. If only someone could take pity on him and step forward, tell them how wrong this was. Even as hard as Naruto wished for such things…nothing happened.

Every minute that passed by seemed like hours of torture. The beating wasn't so bad in itself, but the hate that seemed to seep through every villager present was so unbearable Naruto found himself almost choking on it. So much anger and lust for revenge, all directed towards him over something he couldn't control. _'I'm not a demon. I'm not a murderer,' _he could shout to the surrounding mob, but in their minds, they knew better than to listen to a monster, one that destroyed their families and homes ten years ago.

They wouldn't fall under the spell of his evil ways.

So here Naruto lay, torn, beaten, sore, and broken, his heart shattering while his beloved Konoha destroyed him time and time again.

Naruto still loved them, still wanted to prove them wrong. All he craved for was a chance to show them that he wasn't the demon they claimed he was, but rather a strong future ninja of Konoha that would protect them against any dangers the village would face.

Why was that so much to ask for?

Just when he thought the pain was over, blue eyes met angry orbs of a ninja. "How dare you look at me _Demon!"_

_Demon…_

The name he had been given since birth. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered with introducing himself as Naruto; he'd grown so used to the harsh names, he mine as well adapt them as his own. He remained brave instead, though, standing up each time after the beatings, not falling into the darkness of depression or heartache. He pulled through with the strength in his heart and the dream of becoming a hero.

"I'm not a monster, I've done nothing wrong."

Dark laughter followed Naruto's bold statement as he hopelessly tried to make them believe. But it fell on deaf ears. Nothing he could say or do would change their minds. The pain he was feeling now, was the pain they must have felt once, a long time ago, caused by the Kyuubi. Maybe all he could do now was accept it, to feel their pain and soak it up for them. He would give them the relief if only for a moment, it was all he could give to them, for what had happened, regardless of the fact that it wasn't his fault.

"You have no right to look at me." Disgust laced the words so freely, coming out like a spit in Naruto's face. The ninja swung his sword carelessly, aimed right for Naruto's neck as he prepared the killing blow. Reflexes kicked in as Naruto tried to use the rusty barrels next to him as a shield.

The rusted metal blocked the hard blow, creaking under the pressure as the sword tore in a jagged line. The aged barrels were no match for the durable weapon made for devastation and before anyone had time to asses the sudden danger, white hot liquid spit out of the barrel, shooting into Naruto's shocked eyes, covering him in a blanket of thick, white liquid.

He screamed as smoke gathered around his bloody eyes, destroying the once beautiful blue gems. The onlookers appeared surprised and almost scared as animalistic cries tore from Naruto's throat, burning it under the strain.

Naruto watched through blurry vision as they all shifted nervously, slowly making their way out of the alley, far away from the evidence of their cruelty. He had never felt pain quite like this before and he reached out towards their retreating forms. Naruto tried to call them back, but all that came out was a whimper of pain. He didn't care that this was their fault, he just didn't want to be alone. His world was crashing down as darkness swam along the edges of his sight.

The acid burned, making him thrash crazily, wishing death over the intense pain. The air grew quiet and ominous once Naruto's voice finally gave out. The last thing he saw was two dangerous red swirling eyes, and a beautifully perfect pale face in front of him. Small stress lines started from his just below the set of eyes, reaching to the end of defined cheek bones. Long flowing hair was barely concealed by a small tie, rustling softly in the breeze, ready to be freed and the light pink lips set into a frown, dipped low onto the face, void of any emotion.

Naruto had to admit if this was the last thing he'd ever see, he didn't mind so much.

'Beautiful,' he thought right before he passed out.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Naruto quickly shot up in bed, fingers instantly moving to his face, feeling the slightly raised skin around his eyes delicately.

His eyes.

Too scared to admit what had happened was not all a nightmare, and come to terms with reality, Naruto let his hands continue their journey over the equally swollen skin of his eyelids.

He couldn't see. Everything was so dark. His mind raced as fresh tears began to form.

Naruto thought back to earlier in the day when he was still cooped up in his apartment, twitching with the need to get out and his hunger slowly driving him insane. He had planned to stay inside until it was absolutely necessary to leave. The few weeks following the celebration of Kyuubi's death – or rather containment - were always risky for Naruto. The Sandaime usually did a good job making sure he was stocked up on food and supplies, but Naruto's provisions hadn't been anywhere near enough to hold him over.

He ate half the normal portions, doing his best to make the food last. At the start of the day, Naruto had only been without food for a couple of days, but his body was already so hungry from being given the bare minimum. So, he'd finally caved in, hoping to make it to the forest and back before nightfall, hoping to catch a small animal or some fish. Naruto had left, armed with one kunai that he'd lost later on during his hunt, unaware of what his hunger would cost him.

Now, Naruto wished he had listened to his head instead of his stomach.

He could tell by the smell of medicine and cleanliness, with soft clean sheets beneath him, that he was in the hospital. He tried to use his well endowed sense of hearing and smell to make up for his lack of sight, attempting to detect any nurses or ninjas around and found none. So, for the most part, Naruto was alone. This would give him time to think and try to decide what to do with himself.

What could he do? What options did he have in his future as a handicap ninja? Thinking about it only made it worse and Naruto swallowed down a sob he more than deserved to cry. Crying was for children. Not for ninjas. He couldn't let this tear his dreams away from him. It was a new challenge, to prove himself.

Naruto just had to learn how to adapt to his new setback.

Wrapping his head around everything was proving to be extremely hard. Maybe if he laid back down, and woke up in the morning, everything would be back to normal. He would be in perfect health - no demon residing in him - his parents sleeping in the other room peacefully as he woke to another normal day, in the perfectly normal life of a ninja.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

**A/N:**

Ok. So I obviously edited quite a bit…again. I apologize. I'm just trying to really put everything I can into making this story good. Reviews and opinions are welcomed. I love all of you guys. Thank you for taking time to read this. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Edited: 1/20/12

**Story:**

Be My Eyes

**Rating/Warning(s):**

Rated M for violence, the occasional profanity, sexual situations. Although there's nothing particularly offensive in this chapter.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Naruto, or its characters.

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Summary:**

Strength is measured through courage. Test its abilities, not with physical strength but the ability to withstand it mentally. Goals set high and a promise to keep; Naruto may have bit off more than he can chew. And then there was Itachi.

_Notes-_

Ok, so a bit of explaining is in order…There is a time skip of 3 years and the next chapter will be another time skip. I realize I'm moving fast but I amd giving out the moments I want to portray and moving onto the more important parts. There will be in depth explanations for everything and flashbacks and such to help the story's background. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Okay, the Third Hokage is dead, obviously and Tsunade is the Hokage. Tsunade became Hokage before the chunnin exams and the Third Hokage still died fighting Orochimaru. Tsunade took over before his passing though. It fits my story better. ;)

Chapter 2:

(3 Years Later)

Kakashi regarded his students with a dull look, masking the shock that reached to his core. His team had taken a turn for the worse. Even after their hard work that had got them through the chunnin exams as winners, in his eyes the curse seal currently throbbing at the young Uchiha's neck was a sure sign that, once again, he was too late.

He was too late to stop it. Too late to distract the hate the radiated through his young student and protect him from the path of revenge. His lone eye traveled over to Naruto, whose brows furrowed with a look of fury spread across his face. Deep in those scarred blue eyes, Kakashi could see regret and sympathy lurking. Naruto wanted to help Sasuke too; he wanted to save him. But it was no use. All their attempts at keeping Sasuke's need for revenge at bay were made in vain. Kakashi knew all too well what would happen soon enough. Even the most unpredictable ninja, the one who could make the evilest of enemies see new light, was no match for the hate harboring in Sasuke. There was only one thing that had potential to be more powerful than love; hate.

Sighing heavily for what he assumed was the one hundredth time that day, Kakashi turned his attention back to the present, watching his Sensei's son and the youngest Uchiha walk away, unsure of what he should do.

"Naruto," he called out, still unaware of what how to handle the situation. "Look after those eyes of yours. We had a long day, but I don't want you sitting out any missions. And Sasuke," this time he received no act of acknowledgement, but the hesitation in Sasuke's step made it obvious Kakashi had his attention. "Walk Naruto home, will you? Just to be safe."

Sasuke nodded silently before resuming his brisk pace, with Naruto close on his heels. Putting the two together was usually risky. There was always the chance of a fight, one with the potential to cause a lot of damage, whether it be emotional or physical, but the other possible outcome was too tempting to resist; Sasuke letting his weak spot for Naruto get the best of him.

Of course Sasuke would never admit it, and even Kakashi had a hard time believing it at times, but Naruto had dug himself deep under Sasuke's skin and the Uchiha seemed to have a rather difficult time getting him back out. So Kakashi used anything he could to weaken Sasuke's resolve, even Naruto's handicap, implying there was always danger lurking around some corner, waiting for him. Sasuke merely took the bait, more than likely aware that he was being manipulated by Kakashi.

"Don't forget to tuck him in!" he called out cheerfully, watching in amusement when Sasuke's chin dropped to his chest in annoyance and Naruto's face flushed before unleashing a string of banter in Kakashi's direction.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Deep red bled into the slowly darkening blue sky with small wisps of clouds scattered lightly throughout. Down below, a shadow cast it self over the ground level occupants, everyday noises slowly dying down as the villagers' activities came to an end, receding along with the setting sun. It was a beautiful sight to see, Konoha in all its glory, giving way to nature and sinking into rest, until light returned with a new day.

Naruto let his eyes practically soak in the view, and then shivered slightly, only now remembering that along with the sun, gone was the warmth, replaced with a night chill. Tonight was particularly unforgiving as the early signs of winter nipped at his exposed skin. He loved the winter; the white snow that blanketed his home gave off such a sense of purity, untouched and beautiful. He wished such a pure thing could exist. Untainted and untamed. His appreciation for such things had turned into something much more, taking advantage of what he once starved for; acting like this gift could be taken back at any moment.

He glanced quickly in the direction Sasuke had gone, leaving him to his own devices. Obviously he'd assumed Naruto was capable of putting himself to bed for some much needed rest. He almost snickered when he imagined Sasuke's reaction at finding out Naruto had waited only seconds after his back was turned to scale the short distance from his apartment's roof to the Hokage Mountain.

Sighing quietly, Naruto tugged his coat closer to his chest, clenching his jaw to keep it from chattering. He knew it wasn't only the cold creating shivers to run down his spine, but the ever-present loneliness swelling deep within his being, begging for someone to hold him at night, tell him stories, and promise that tomorrow would be a better day. But such a thing did not exist, and wishing for it would not help to make it happen.

He had to be grateful for what he had.

'_Iruka.'_

A small smile graced his scarred face at the thought of his Academy teacher. He was so lucky to have befriended the man. No matter what the circumstances had been, Naruto had won his acceptance. Iruka had even gone as far as to risk his own life for Naruto, and for that, he owed his life to Iruka. Naruto's thoughts drifted away from the brunette teacher to another mentor, one with a slightly different appearance, attitude and personality; Kakashi was quite the opposite of Iruka. Kakashi was lazy and uncaring, his affection shown in the barest of ways while Iruka's passion for teaching and pride in his students was unmatchable. Sure his teammates weren't exactly ideal and Kakashi seemed to be more focused on his daily reading than training, nonetheless they were his team. They would work together to become stronger, so he could finally get closer to his goals.

Get closer to _him._

Smile vanishing from his face, an unimaginable pain wrapped itself tightly around Naruto's heart, squeezing it with bruising force. His bare hand clawed at the cloth and skin covered organ, ignoring the slap of cold air, to focus on the fire burning its way though his veins. He took a shuddering deep breath to shake away the sudden hurt, successfully holding back the tears threatening to fall. His eyes slipped shut, the salty drops nowhere to be found when his eyes reopened.

"To think out of all my classmates," he said, leaning against the back of his door once he was safely inside, "I'd be put on a team with him." The chuckle that followed held no humor. "As if I wasn't tortured enough with trying to forget you, now this." His eyes felt heavy, proving the words spoken right, while the stress of the day wore down on his body. Slender hands move to cover blue orbs, rubbing them gently to relieve the pain, a habit he found becoming a pattern nowadays. The pain was especially bad today. Long days of training and effort caused more strain than they could handle.

Eyes still closed, he blindly made his way to the small futon laid out along the floor. Tsunade had told him to take it easy. She had warned him that his eyes were a lot like chakra. They could only last so long under heavy use and stress before there was nothing left. Just a second it the darkness was too much to bear, and Naruto felt consumed by the memories of his over excited actions when his vision had returned, training all through the day and well into the night without a break. His careless mistake was followed by rather unpleasant consequences.

He had to be more careful, give them more time to adjust, he thought to himself, before banishing the idea in favor of planning tomorrow's training regimen. It was a good thing Tsunade couldn't read his thoughts, or else Naruto would have been on lockdown in the hospital from the moment his eye 'procedure' was completed.

Soon after lying down, he let sleep consume his being, dreams of blurry colors and unspoken promises unconsciously building a fire in his determination.

Uzumaki Naruto never broke a promise. Not even ones he'd made to himself.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"…so I unleashed Samehada's force on him. Really Itachi-san it was his own fault, getting in my way like that and all."

The statement was said with such feigned innocence, anyone would have believed it if not for sharp teeth twisted in a psychotic grin and Itachi, having lived around his partner for years, used to the unmerciful acts of the blue demon. Silence was his only reply, stepping nonchalantly over the civilian without as much as a blink, Itachi continued with his quiet traveling.

Liking his lips sadistically, Kisame snuck one last look at his latest prey while shielding his sword. "Kisame," Itachi spoke calmly, urging him on.

"Mah Itachi-san. Shouldn't we stop soon? Leader may call on us for an update and we're only traveling farther away."

"An informant is awaiting our arrival."

Seemingly unhindered by the short response, Kisame bobbed his head, falling in step with Itachi as they made their way through the forest and away from any trails or main paths to remain unseen to the world. Not bothering with communication to ease the steady silence, they both sped up; opting for an earlier return to base over a slow leisurely pace. Rest would have to wait. Even after three straight days of traveling, they had no time for such trivial things.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"Maybe now is the best time to strike."

"Of course not, the village is finally readjusting to the Third's death and growing fond of Tsunade-sama. There's no telling how they'll react if we move now."

The two argued back and forth fervently, completely disregarding the third party in the room, "They hate him. There's no way his disappearance will cause any negative feelings from the village."

"Oh? And what about Tsunade-sama's opinion of him? You don't think her feelings for the boy will cause distress among the villagers? Not to mention Uchiha. They may be rivals, but at current time they're inseparable and the Uchiha brat has the power to turn all of Konoha against us. He plans to kill the boy himself; all we'll be doing is throwing a wrench in his plan which is not something I'm entirely comfortable with."

The room grew quiet suddenly as the weight of Koharu's words settled on all their shoulders. She may be the most hard-hearted of them all, but it was unreasonable to expect a good outcome for their premature tactics.

Danzou spoke for the first time, "I believe it is our interest best to wait. Now is not the time and we would only gain enemies if we chose to act now." Homura appeared put off and agitated at having his idea shot down so simply, but didn't speak a word of disagreement against Danzo's input. "Our time will come soon, my friend." Homura relaxed a bit, sighing loudly to release some of the tension in the room.

"For now all we can do is wait."

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

**A/N:**

Another edited chapter, sorry if you got excited. Hopefully it helped the story flow better and sorry it took so long. I accidentally never uploaded the edited versions D8. Anyway, thank you for reading and comments and opinions are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Story:**

Be My Eyes

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Rating/Warning(s):**

Rated M for violence, language and sexual situations.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Naruto, or its characters.

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Summary:**

Strength is measured through courage. Test its abilities, not with physical strength but the ability to withstand it mentally. With his goals set high and a promise to keep; Naruto may have bit off more than he can chew. And then there was Itachi.

Chapter3:

Naruto found himself walking along the outskirts of Konoha, unable to resist his urges for fresh winter air, indulging in the white blanket laid lightly over the ground. He flopped down onto his back with as much grace possible in such an abrupt action. Ignoring the melting snow that started to seep through his tan coat, he let his arms slip together underneath his head, a position of complete ease despite the cold air. Naruto had always enjoyed a nice winter breeze; it was refreshing compared to the usual heat his body radiated.

Blue eyes disappeared as Naruto let his other four senses dominate, taking in the surroundings. He heard a bird chirp in the distant, probably left behind unknowingly to face the bitter weather it wasn't meant to endure.

Close by, there was a small padding of feet, maybe a small wolf or wild dog. Its light steps alerted Naruto it was probably hunting some unsuspecting victim of an animal and he was unable to suppress a shiver at the thought. Spread out so open to attacks like this, he could very well be the unsuspecting target of an attack, and as much as that scared him, it excited him all the same.

Tsunade had been extra careful with him lately, making sure not to send him on too many high-ranked missions, all barely above Genin, now that he really thought about it.

Eyebrows furrowing together in frustration he bitterly wondered if his next mission would be catching the damn Daimyo's cat. For Kami's sake, this was ridiculous. Naruto needed to train; he needed to look for Sasuke, needed to get stronger. Opening his eyes, annoyed his relaxation had been ruined by none other than himself, he sat up quickly, grimacing as his wet clothes stuck to his skin.

"I guess I should head to the Old Hag. Maybe this mission will be better," he spoke softly to no one.

He stretched his arms above his head, back arching with a resounding crack. He let his mind wander deep in thought, but not enough to miss the snap of a twig that was too close for comfort. Naruto resisted the urge to whip his head in the direction of the noise, acting as if it went unheard. He peeked out of the corner of his eye carefully, surveying the thick forest. He didn't sense any killer intent or any chakra signatures.

He let himself slowly circle to overlook his surroundings, the small wolf he had heard earlier stepped out from some bushes, rabbit dangling from its mouth. Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and decided he'd had enough fresh air for now.

'_Now it's time for some poor excuse of a mission.' _

_.  
_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"Old Hag!"

"Brat!"

Tsunade smiled fondly despite herself. Naruto would never change and she loved that about him. No matter what hardship was thrown his way, he found a way through it. If his friends, hell even strangers, found themselves in sticky situations, Naruto was there to help, sometimes whether they wanted the help or not.

Gazing at her favorite shinobi she wondered how things had turned out this way. What would it be like if Kyuubi had been sealed into someone else, if Naruto hadn't held the burden one his age should not have to? Would he still have tried so hard to gain the attention of everyone around him? Would he have tried so hard to save those who everyone else considered too far gone?

The Hokage believed a lot of who Naruto was today was due to the hardships he'd faced throughout his life. But it was something more than that. It wasn't just the fire that fueled this boy to lend a hand to any in need, although that was potent enough in itself, but there was something else there. This something was what drove Naruto to try so hard; training himself into an unconscious state on a regular basis. It was like he was paying a debt, like he felt he had to earn his existence in the world. Nobody should have to feel like they didn't belong, especially not this particular person. After all he'd endured throughout his short life, he deserved to live more than anyone she knew.

Tsunade shook her head out of her thoughts to focus on a worried Shizune and frustrated a looking Naruto; obviously she'd been staring for a while. It wouldn't do to add more stress to the boy, making him think something was wrong. In reality there was a lot wrong; the youngest Uchiha was a missing ninja, she'd just discovered life altering news about the Uchiha massacre, Akatsuki was on the move and she had at least twenty piles of paperwork with her name all over them.

Ok…so maybe the last one couldn't really considered one of Naruto's problems, but Tsunade's temper surely was. It was well known to all those close to the Hokage that a Tsunade with a lot of paperwork and not enough sake meant a foul tempered Tsunade. Basically you could kiss any chance of having a nice, calm day away. Provided she had the right amount of alcohol, the day would go by without any hiccups.

"Naruto." She bit back her anger to relieve some tension in the room. "As you know you'll be going on another mission. Unfortunately, this one you'll be doing on your own. There's still a lot to be done and I need all the ninjas I can get. Suffice to say, it's very dangerous out there. For you especially, Naruto."

Tsunade sat up slowly, moving from behind her desk to gaze out the wide window, looking over her village. "It's beyond my control, and if it were up to me you'd stay in the village."

Nearly jumping for joy, Naruto did his best to contain himself. _'Finally!'_

"But it's not!" Seeing the boy almost jump out of his skin…did he realize how dangerous it really was for him? "You need to take this seriously; I'm putting my trust in you. It's a simple mission, just a few scrolls that need to be sent to some smaller villages, but the scrolls hold information of great importance, so…be careful Gaki."

"Of course, Old Hag," Naruto replied, letting a bit of seriousness take over, now that the mission was starting. If there was one thing Naruto was always prepared to take seriously it was it duties to Konoha.

"Report back immediately after the completion of your mission."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage's eyes widened a bit in shock, his usual endearment missing, but his blindingly beautiful smile was still present. She couldn't help but think how proud his parents would be of him now…

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

He was exhausted.

No, exhausted didn't quite explain well enough. The word didn't seem to give Naruto's current state any justice. He was dead on his feet. Even after Kyuubi's chakra had healed the majority of his wounds and helped with the chakra exhaustion, it was barely enough to keep him on his standing. He struggled to keep his footing light as it touched each branch, not wanting to alert anymore enemy ninja of his whereabouts, the last ambush had been quite enough for one day if you asked him.

Mustering all his remaining strength, he pushed forward, ignoring the way his legs moved into a new, awkward landing position; ankle twisting at the odd angle. Pain shot up through muscled legs, and the blonde lost his balance. He braced his hands and legs for the impact, relieved when the slight thump proved he hadn't been as high up as he thought. He lifted his leg up slightly and a familiar pain returned, shooting up his leg again with newfound ferocity.

"Fuck."

Calloused hands ran down his ankle pulling off his sandal to asses the damage, wrinkling his nose when the smell of blood hit his senses. He must have scraped his ankle up a bit on the way down, adding salt to the already hurting wound.

Naruto sighed at his impatience. He had chosen not to rest and travel once he had been healed, taking off like a bat out of hell instead; reckless as usual. He was now regretting that decision. Not that he had too much of a choice, with the risk that any enemies he'd left behind had survived. Carefully, so as not to lean on his injury, he hopped up onto his good foot, moving closer to a tree for support. He'd never been that great at healing jutsus and now was no different.

'_Just my luck.' _He thought. _'Stupid mission, stupid Old Hag.' _ It was supposed to be easy, and he'd ended up facing a group of at least twelve enemy ninja, and now his ankle was hurt and he couldn't do anything until at least the swelling went down.

As Shikamaru would say, "How troublesome."

Unconsciously his eyes began to drift closed as his body and mind finally gave way to its needs. A burning sensation filled his eyes, and he made one last feeble attempt to keep them open before darkness took over.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.**-**

**.  
**

Stumbling to his feet, injury forgotten, Naruto searched for the source of his distress. He hadn't meant to fall asleep so long; he'd just needed a little rest to help his ankle. His _ankle_… looking down the burning made itself known, probably very agitated at not being cared after and protesting the sudden weight it wasn't managing to hold up very well.

Something had woken Naruto up, and now his instincts were on high alert while he scanned the area suspiciously, knowing this time he wouldn't be so lucky to see a wolf come out from the brush, but maybe another ambush.

'_Shit. They've called reinforcements,'_ was his first assumption,preparing for the worst. He grabbed a kunai from his pouch. There was no way in hell he was going to be a sitting duck, waiting to be attacked. Pain and weakness be damned, he wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Show yourself. There's no use hiding when I know you're there." Growling lightly, his eyes darted in every direction awaiting the appearance of his opponent.

'_Ah.' _Suddenly the pain in his ankle was nothing, the low chakra reserves mattered not, and his sore body was a walk in the park on a beautiful sunny day. All Naruto knew was pain, stabbing through his pupils like a serrated knife. He rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to make the pain go away, but it didn't budge.

"What do we have here, hm?"

Raising his unseeing eyes as he tried to decipher who'd spoken, but all that came to his vision were blurs of colors. He could make out the white ground, the brown blurs of tree, and the red and black. _Akatsuki. _Blinking away the salty liquid forming in his eyes that they continued to produce, trying to relieve the sudden dryness in Naruto's eyes, he weighed his options.

Naruto continued to watch the two figures in front of him, assured that they would stay as they were, still and not near him for now. It was obvious who had spoken; the only blue member of Akatsuki was Kisame, the fish-looking ninja. And if Naruto remembered correctly, his partner was none other than Uchiha Itachi.

He felt his heart rate speed up and his palms begin to sweat. He couldn't handle all this. It was too much. Not now. He wasn't ready, and he couldn't be seen like this. So weak and pathetic, he wasn't even sure what would happen. Their job was to take him away to Akatsuki's hideout, where his demon would be taken and so would his life.

Naruto was never one to back down from a fight, but he knew when it was useless to waste energy that would get him nowhere. Maybe he could use his speed to outrun them. He knew it was cowardly, running away from a fight. Contrary to popular belief, Naruto was not a complete idiot, and he knew that fighting in his current state would mean loosing, something he hated to admit. So for just this once, he'd use the part of his brain urging him to do what was necessary to survive; run.

_Now._

"I guess we're supposed to chase him." Naruto could hear the ex-Mist ninja call out from behind. He turned in time to see the evil grin forming on Kisame's face as he disappeared into the woods. The glint in those eyes was enough to tell Naruto that his small limp hadn't gone unnoticed. "He's injured."

"Enough. Let's move," He vaguely heard the Uchiha's deep voice sound out, before the noises died down, distance growing between the Naruto and his enemy.

Naruto thought he'd gotten lucky. That maybe the two members had stumbled across him merely by coincidence and were already busy with a mission, choosing its importance over capturing the Kyuubi vessel.

Looking back over his shoulder a few times, Naruto hadn't been able to see anyone tailing him. That was until he felt the approaching chakra signatures, and cursed his luck, more so the lack of it. He felt so weak attempting to run away. It ate at his very being and tore him inside out. This wasn't in his nature, to run from a fight, although, the fight itself was the least of his worries. He wasn't prepared for what would happen after, and he hadn't been expecting this so soon.

He'd pushed his shock down, along with the bile, after hearing about the Uchiha massacre, hoping above hopes that it had been a mistake, a misunderstanding. He didn't like to dwell on the subject too long, but now it was smacking him in the face as he was chased by the person who used to protect him. He tried to reassure himself that this wasn't the same person as that person no longer existed. Uchiha Itachi had died the night he'd murdered his whole family, only to run and join an organization that was trying to _kill _Naruto.

Oh the irony. The very person who'd saved his life all those years ago, just to turn around and kill the boy himself.

'_That must have been why,' _he idly thought. He was no good to Akatsuki dead, so instead he'd been kept alive, awaiting the time when he was suppose to die; all this had been done to better suit Akatsuki. Naruto wasn't really aware of how long it took them to assemble the members of Akatsuki, and put the organized plan into play. He assumed they'd been more pressured as of recently to go after the remaining sacrifices because their numbers were quickly decreasing.

Unsure of how many members were actually left in the criminal organization, all Naruto knew was that the recent deaths had lit a fire of motivation under Akatsuki. Their movement had become more frequent. It was the main reason Tsunade was so hesitant to send him on high-ranked or long-term missions. Keeping Naruto away from the village for too long was a risk.

A risk no one was willing to take.

Skidding to a stop, Naruto turned around, lazily tossing a kunai in front of him. It was deflected easily by the Uchiha. Flipping backward while he formed some hand seals, he almost missed the sword that whipped towards him, sucking his chakra and energy before making a skillful retreat.

Not letting it show how hard it was to stand, Naruto jumped onto a nearby branch giving him distance to make another move. But as he should have known, he was no match for them with his recent injuries, and they seemed to take advantage of it fully. Kisame stood directly below, ready to swing again and soft gust of wind from behind was the only warning he got before he felt the bottom of a shoe crash against the back of his head, sending him spiraling towards black and smudges.

'_Heh. It's weird to feel it, an attack from someone I once trusted, just like Sasuke. I guess all Uchihas are alike.'_

He was headed straight for outstretched arms and an awaiting body, prepared to grab him midair. Using his weight to his advantage, Naruto somersaulted in the air, pushing off the strong chest of an angry Kisame.

Smirking to himself, his success was just as quickly ruined when a presence snuck up behind and pulled him faster to the quickly approaching forest floor. Unable to wiggle out of the tight grip Itachi's hands, he squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain that was bound to follow bone and flesh meeting the ground. His conscious body received a swift blow, neck bending under the pressure, arms, back and legs following closely behind.

Naruto could barely make out what was going on. The noises around him started fading into a soft hum, lulling his body into a deep sleep.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"He's gotten stronger, pity that it won't be of any use."

"…"

Even the stoic personality of Kisame's partner couldn't deter his good mood at their achievements. They had caught their Jinchuriki on his way home from a mission; alone and injured. It couldn't have possibly gone any better. Of course the boy had still put up a bit of fight, not that it had helped, but they'd been prepared for the Kyuubi container's unwavering courage. Too bad this time around, his energy was not up to par with his personality.

Kisame grabbed the blonde by his arm and swung him carelessly over his shoulder. Shifting one last glance over to his partner, they nodded to each other and started back for the base. Without a doubt, Konoha ninja would soon cover the area they were previously occupying, but if all went well, the trio would be long gone by then. It was better to start their journey now while Konoha was unaware their ninja population had just been cut down by one.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

'_I pushed myself too hard this time and now everyone dear to me will have to pay for my mistakes.'_

Naruto did his best to fight off the inevitable darkness that was quickly approaching, a tear of frustration slowly sliding down his whiskered cheek. He ignored the pain circulating through his body and the rocky traveling of his captor.

"_Be safe Gaki."_

"_Naruto! Please bring Sasuke back!"_

"_I'll cut all ties with you Konoha."_

'_I'm sorry…so sorry.'_

-.-.-.-.-.-

**Flashback**

-.-.-.-.-.-

"_I wonder how he was able to get this far, with such a …disadvantage." Tsunade spoke softly, unable to put it in simpler words, without offending the object of their conversation._

"_It seems he's inherited quite the determination. You know, that's to be expected," came Jiraiya's proud and affectionate response._

_They both gazed off, caught up in their own thoughts. So deep in thought, they forgot the whole meaning for their gathering. Which meant forgetting about the rather pissed off guest that was sharing the now quiet space with them. _

"…"

"…"

"_Anybody mind telling me what I'm doing here? Or are we just going to stare off into space?"_

_Snapping out of her reverie, Tsunade shook her head softly to get herself back into focus. This hadn't been a meeting for fond memories or acknowledgement of the accomplishments the shinobi in front of her had made. Yet, it did have everything to do with Naruto. _

_Tsunade couldn't deny her soft spot for him. Since a few weeks prior, when Naruto and Jiraiya had traveled to offer her the position of Hokage, saving her life along the way, she'd felt a pull to the energetic and unpredictable child. He always seemed so happy and eager to please, but the lifeless eyes didn't go with the boy's bright, fiery personality. What she knew were once a breathtaking sky blue now held a slight fog film over them. Even without a further investigation, she could see the white cloudy spots of poison swimming through his useless orbs and it killed her to see. Such potential and raw determination deserved at least the simple needs of a ninja; like eyesight._

_How could one become a shinobi without the ability to see? It seemed so foreign to her, but maybe that was because Tsunade had never been denied the necessities of life. Yet, here before her, was Naruto; unwillingly to back down despite life's persistent attempts at knocking him off his feet. It was unnerving and encouraging all at once, feelings she hadn't known in a while, rising to the surface._

_She wanted to help him. Save him from the eternal darkness he was struggling against. _

_Tsunade had no idea if it would even work. She'd dealt with many poisons before, mostly wounds inflicted by poison-covered weapons. Being the top medic she was, she had removed it from legs, arms, chests, lungs, vital organs, but never… eyes. In all her years of healing Tsunade had never found herself in such a situation. _

_One side of her, the doctor, wouldn't have wasted another second, instead moving forward with the intense and possibly dangerous sessions of removing the poison and regenerating dead cells. The concerned, motherly side of her knew the risks in such actions, not as willing to put Naruto through more pain when the outcomes were unknown. _

_For a split second Tsunade felt guilt grip her heart, choking her. He was unintentionally becoming her experiment for a procedure she knew would cause a lot of pain, but had no idea whether or not it would even work. _

_Without asking, it was obvious what Naruto's answer would be. The possibility of being healed would fill him unintentional hope. There would be no mulling over his decision or weighing his options. Naruto would jump in without a thought. And the last thing Tsunade wanted to do was be the one to let him down. She didn't want to see him fall into the darkness of despair. When Naruto had lasted so long in such harsh conditions, there was no way to tell when he could break for good._

_After all, everyone had there limits, right?_

"_I have a proposition for you, Naruto. It involves the current state of your sight." Tsunade watched his face, a canvas of emotion, flash from one to another; defensive and angry being the dominant features that now adorned his face. "What if I told you, I could fix it…?"She trailed off; waiting for the colorful reaction she assumed was coming._

_Naruto's head dropped forward, his chin digging into chest as he hid his initial reaction from Jiraiya and herself. Her eyes wandered to Jiraiya, currently staring out the office windows, uninterested. Tsunade knew him better than that, though and she could see Jiraiya's narrowed eyes stuck on the reflection of Naruto in the glass. She could see him watching the boy as intently as she had just moments ago. Letting her gaze linger on Jiraya a bit longer, she turned her attention back to Naruto._

_His head was raised. Eyes that couldn't see were leveled with her own. And, Tsunade knew if those eyes could shine with bravery, it would have been the truest she'd ever seen. That was the moment she became aware. Maybe it was the debt she owed to him, or the hard work Tsunade had seen first hand, land him into the hospital. Maybe even that silly grin, which washed any doubt from her mind. Regardless, she now knew that her plan had to work. She couldn't fail Naruto. If it was the last thing she did; she would those beautiful eyes alive, like they deserved to be._

_.  
_

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

**A/N:**

All you comments are much appreciated. Thanks for sticking with me through the good and the bad. And Big thanks to my new Beta for putting up with my horrible spelling and grammar.


	4. Chapter 4

Edited Jan. 12, 2012

**Notes:**

Someone has brought to my attention that the storyline is a bit confusing. I just need you guys to bare with me and if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them! :) So everyone is aware, Naruto was blinded by toxins in Chapter one and as you can tell, he can see now. The reason for this is explained in **this **chapter, during the flashback

**Story:**

Be My Eyes

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Rating/Warning(s):**

Rated M for violence, language and sexual situations.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Naruto, or its characters.

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Summary:**

Strength is measured through courage. Test its abilities, not with physical strength but the ability to withstand it mentally. Goals set high and a promise to keep; Naruto may have bit off more than he can chew. And then there was Itachi.

Chapter 4:

Kisame could sense a dark set of eyes watching from behind a layer of painted wood as Itachi scanned the forest for any witnesses. He lifted the body of their Jinchuuriki up off the ground, tossing it over his shoulder carelessly. The extra weight did nothing to hinder him as he moved silently towards his partner; gaze following Itachi's line of sight.

"Itachi-san?" Kisame questioned the silent man, his gaze never straying from the thick brush only a small distance away.

The air grew thick with tension as the Akatsuki members stood their ground, seeking out the intentions of their company.

"We need to get moving." Itachi made no acknowledgement to Kisame's statement, turning on his heel to begin the trek back to base. "Shouldn't we…?" he gestured silently towards the bushes a safe distance away.

"They are not here to rescue Naruto."

The confusion was clear on Kisame's face while he glanced once more in the direction of the chakra signatures. He decided against further probing, even as his curiosity began to grow. Why would Konoha send ninjas to the scene of Naruto's abduction, if not to save him? Or at least attempt to do so.

"Ready?" Itachi's voice brought Kisame out of his musings. Although Itachi didn't wait for an answer; moving swiftly from the forest floor into a high set of branches, pausing only slightly to wait. Kisame needed no further commands, following after his partner with practiced ease. His thoughts wandered, once again, to the young boy draped over him. Even as a missing ninja – one that had seen more that his fair share of cruelty; causing quite a bit of it himself- it was hard for Kisame to wrap his mind around the notion of a village _allowing_ one of their own to be captured.

He didn't have a lot of information as to what a Jinchuuriki's life was like. Although looking back, his own target had seemed well respected, at least. And from what he'd heard, while being somewhat unsociable at times, the other Jinchuuriki lived in similar atmospheres.

Not that he cared…the boy would be dead within the week, at the very most.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Unsteady silence had taken over Konoha; looming over its inhabitants like a plague. Both citizens and shinobi alike were unaware of its cause but the foreboding feeling couldn't just be shaken off. The skies seemed dimmer, the laughter filling the streets was somewhat empty; a means to fill the quiet, but only serving to intensify Konoha's state of depression. Nobody asked and nothing was said while they all desperately wished for the brightness of the once beautiful village to return.

"It's my fault." Tsunade fisted her hands tightly, nails digging crescent shapes into her palms as the smell of blood lightly tickled her nose. Part of her, the selfish part, wanted somebody to tell her it wasn't true; to defend her. Regardless of the fact Tsunade would just shoot their arguments down, insisting she was to blame.

Even still…it hurt worse knowing she could have stopped this.

Shizune was the first to her rescue, staring hopefully at Jiraya before turning her attention back to the Hokage. "Tsunade-sama! There's no way you could have known this would happen!"

The desk shook, some of its contents tipping over. Aside from her arms shaking with anger and frustration, the small smudges of ink spread out along official documents, a small bottle of ink emptying out along the parchment unnoticed, left little to the imagination involving Tsunade's feelings at the moment.

"That's just it, Shizune. I _didn't _know this would happen; whether or not it _could. _That's why it's my fault. I let him go out there on his own; unaware of what might come of Naruto's vulnerability. It was careless of me." Tsunade looked up, desperately searching for any answers from the two people standing before her. Finding none she let her head drop back down. "And now he's-"

"Gone. Now he's gone." Jiraya's steady voice broke through Tsunade's monologue. "Naruto's gone, captured by Akatsuki and we have to find him. Moping around and feeling sorry for yourself won't do anything to help the boy!"

"I am not moping!" Her defense was short and held as much frustration and stress as a mother without their child. Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek, swallowing any nasty remarks. As insensitive as Jiraya's words may seem, she knew exactly what their purpose was; her motivation.

Tsunade didn't need to be tiptoed around or treated with care over sensitive subjects. She needed the cold, hard truth. Tsunade was much like Naruto in the sense that, when told they weren't good enough or what they were doing was anything but 'their best,' the instinctive need to prove people wrong and go above and beyond overcame her.

So Jiraya had poked and prodded, pointing out all Tsunade's flaws in the way she handled Naruto's abduction. And although it got the necessary results- Tsunade's determination renewed and her sake bottle out of sight- she could see his slight hesitation when her eyes began to water, chest tightening while she stubbornly tried to hide the sobs trying so hard to break free.

Tsunade breathed in deeply, her posture straightening with perfected ease. She hoped the hurt wasn't put on display, but she could feel Jiraiya's gaze transfixed on her. It hurt to hear his words, even though his goal was only to benefit Naruto and to snap Tsunade out of her self loathing.

"Get Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba and Lee here," Tsunade said. Though she wasn't addressing him specifically, Tsunade saw Jiraya begin to move. "Now!"

Tsunade almost questioned her own choice of members, but remained silent when she thought about how distraught Sakura would be and the horrible mistakes that could come of an emotional shinobi on a high class mission. She assumed Jiraya was satisfied as he turned on his heel, practically sprinting from the room to gather the required shinobi.

She waited for Jiraya's hurried exit, finally letting her body give into its natural urges, allowing the tears to escape her eyes.

Tsunade watched through a blurry stare as Shizune's attention switched away from the door to focus on her. She gave a look of pity that made Tsunade's stomach clench, wondering how broken she looked in Shizune's eyes. She was always more bold without the presence of others and Tsunade waited with a bated breathe while Shizune moved to put her hand on Tsunade's back, rubbing in a small and comforting motion. Tsunade flinched at first, startled, before relaxing under the familiar touch

"Naruto is strong Tsunade-sama, you know this." Tsunade's head bobbed in agreement, almost mechanically, thoughts of happy smile and blue eyes bouncing around in her head.

She barely noticed Shizune cringe as she grabbed her hands roughly, squeezing them with a bruising force. Her own eyes widened, following the hands up to Shizune's face, an identical expression washing over her features, "Tsunade-sama?"

"This is my fault, Shizune." Tsunade bit out between her sobs.

"Tsunade- sama, you certainly can't blame yourself." As long as Tsunade had known her, Shizune was always quick to defend her loved ones. But in this case; Tsunade wasn't willing to accept Shizune's compassion so easily.

"You don't understand." Tsunade dropped Shizune's hand as her own fell limp at her side. She rose from her seat quietly, composure back in place. Turning her back to Shizune, Tsunade took a deep breath, preventing any remaining outbreaks. "Jiraya and I…_I_ thought I could help Naruto. He wasn't just getting better on his own, as you were led to believe. I wanted to help him so badly I was blind to the consequences of my actions. Naruto shouldn't have been on that mission, let alone on the active shinobi list at all. I was so _stupid,_ Shizune. I only hope Naruto can forgive me."

"I don't understand Tsunade-sama. What do you mean Naruto wasn't healing on his own?"

"Honestly Shizune, Naruto was blind. You don't really believe he was just 'getting better,' do you?" Tsunade gazed solemnly at her old student and long time friend, sighing at the hurt and confusion swimming in Shizune's eyes. "When a shinobi is poisoned during war or missions, much like Kankuro was during the retrieval of the Kazekage, the poison must be immediately removed if there's any hope of avoiding permanent damage. In Naruto's case, it was toxins not a purposefully made poison. As such, I thought, even with the time that had passed that I could reverse some of the damage with the same method of extracting poisons."

Tsunade ignored the gasp sounding out behind her, and the creak of heavy wood signaling Jiraya's return.

"It took a lot more chakra than I expected. His body tried to reject it at first, but I continued anyway, determined to fix him." She let her forehead fall against the window; watching small puffs of breath fog the glass. "It was impossible to get it all out. So in the process some toxins resurfaced. While I took most of them out; the lingering amount continues to stir every once in a while, mainly disturbed when he overexerts himself. It was foolish of me to think he could handle this on his own."

Tsunade turned around finally, _hoping for _the scrutiny she knew she deserved. The looks of understanding and sadness were not what she wanted. She didn't bother waiting for Shizune's direct response or the slew of questions that were sure to follow the shocking revelations.

"I have a mission for the four of you and it requires your utmost," Tsunade pointedly looked to each of the teens in front of her, satisfied they were completely focused, "…discretion" She did her best, holding her head high, voice unwavering. Yet, as she titled her back even further, a lump caught in her throat; nestled comfortably and unwilling to go without a fight. "I-"

"The Akatsuki made their move quicker than we anticipated." Tsunade was grateful for Jiraya's interruption, aware that he was taking pity on her. She watched him push off from the wall he was leaning on to walk around Tsunade's desk and stand before it, successfully hiding her now shaking form from view. Kiba peeked around him, obviously not having caught on to the situation and baffled by the normally strong willed Hokage's behavior.

"Naruto has been captured."

Tsunade tried to ignore the collective gasps of shock that was sure to be followed by a verbal onslaught. Silence was all that followed. For once, luck was on her side, or the younger shinobi of her village were more open-minded than Tsunade gave them credit for.

"You've chosen us as his rescue team because although we're his friends, we don't have as much attachment as the others. That and anyone not in Naruto's circle of friends couldn't be trusted?" Tsunade shot him a blank stare, which appeared to suffice as an answer to his question. He shoved his hands in his pockets, muttering a complaint Tsunade couldn't make out under his breath. "When do we leave?"

"Immediately, after we give you the details of the mission." Everyone seemed to shake out of their stupor at Tsunade's suddenly commanding voice; all present, completely willing and prepared for the task appointed to them.

Ino's voice broke out of the silence, asking a question she was sure everyone had on their minds.

"Do Sakura and Kakashi-sensei know what's happened?"

"That is where the second part of your mission comes in, Ino, thank you for asking." She could see the suspicion as Ino's brows furrowed, evidently not fond of the direction their conversation was heading in.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"All I'm saying is that _this,"_ Sakura held the offending material up to her chest, moving from side to side for extra measure. "Is not something I would wear."

Sai shrugged uncaring, "It is slightly provocative, maybe for someone with a chest to fill it out?"

Sakura sighed dramatically, tired from hitting her oblivious teammate so many times already. She wasn't in the mood to pull together the energy required for another blow. Smiling devilishly as another thought came to mind, she turned towards Sai, watching as he mimicked her earlier movements with a similar dress pressed tightly to his chest.

"Say Sai, you have the perfect bust for that one. Been a little lenient on your training lately?" Sai barely flinched at Sakura's mocking tone, turning to greet her with a painfully fake smile.

"I am well aware my body is in perfectly good shape for a shinobi. But, maybe you could ask Ino to lend you some of her assets. She surely has enough for the both of you," Sai offered generously.

Sakura growled lightly. She was always sensitive to any insults involving her old friend, which Sai knew all to well. Giving up on any hope of finding a dress with Sai as her company, she grabbed his elbow and pulled him to the exit of the store; the whole while wishing for her best friend, the one who complimented her no matter how bad Sakura knew she looked.

The more she thought about it, the more she worried. Where was Naruto? He was due back from his mission days ago.

"Sakura-chan," Sakura rounded on Sai, energy be damned, she would get a good hit on the pervert. "Isn't that Ino-pig?" Sakura's gaze followed Sai's, searching through the crowd before falling on the purple clad ninja. Sakura's arm lowered and her mouth shut, resisting the urge to shout an insult at the girl. Something about the way she was standing so still, right in the middle of huge moving crowd.

Ino seemed so lost.

Without having to consider it, Sakura marched towards the girl, intent on finding out what was wrong. She stopped dead in her tracks, though, once their eyes met.

Sakura dismissed Sai's prying eyes; choosing to ignore his unending curiosity for all things involving human interaction. She blamed it on his admittedly small amount of knowledge regarding any types of relationship dealings.

Whatever was there, in Ino's eyes, Sakura didn't like it. She didn't like fear, or the regret thickening the space between them. The way Ino looked liked she wanted to reach out and tenderly hold Sakura…to help her. It was suffocating.

"Ino-pig?" Sakura said playfully ignoring the shakiness in her own voice, refusing to acknowledge the familiar feeling twisting in her gut. "What are you doing here? Finally figured out I'm your only friend?" Sakura all but choked out, pleading with Ino to jab back, insult her, anything to ease this tension in the air.

Ino remained silent for a few moments, only adding to Sakura's anxiety, before she spoke. "Sakura," Sakura shook her head, pink locks whipping back and forth. She glared at Ino, daring her to continue but begging her not to. "Sakura, I'm sorry."

She knew. She didn't know why or _how,_ Sakura just knew. Maybe it was instinct, or her intuition. It was definitely the flood of emotions – none revolving around anger or rivalry- in Ino's gaze.

"You shut your mouth, Ino! You'll shut it, if you know what's good for you!" Sakura's feet backtracked on their own accord, stumbling a bit before she fell back into Sai. His hands shot out on reflex to steady her, supporting her weight.

Nobody, not even Sakura, was prepared for the full force punch that sent Sai flying into the door of the shop they recently occupied.

"Sai!" Ino ran forward, shoving past Sakura on the way.

Sakura stood completely still, staring at her clenched fist in disgust. "Ino, wait!" Ino turned quickly, managing to slow her pace only slightly. "Where is he?"

Ino didn't answer while she knelt beside Sai's fallen body, holding Sakura's stare, even as the green glow bubbled around her hands.

Sakura's face felt warm. She looked back down, studying the broken skin around her abused knuckles. Small drops of liquid pooled into a larger wetness. Reaching up, she touched the skin right under her eyes, pulling back to exam the matching shine on her finger.

Tears.

"I can't loose Naruto. Not Naruto." Sakura fell to the ground in a heap of limbs, cradling her face in an effort to comfort her panic-stricken mind. Desperately she tried to deny it, scratching the sides of her face in a fit to awaken from the awful nightmare she was experiencing. "Naruto...Naruto!" Strong hands came at her from multiple directions, stopping the abuse to her face, only causing Sakura to fight more; thrashing out at anything in her reach. "Please, no. You can't take him too, please!"

Sakura struggled relentlessly against Lee and Kiba's hold on her arm, throwing her weight against their restraints. She remained oblivious to her surroundings while everyone shared looks of uncertainty.

"I'll bring him back, Sakura. That's my promise."

Sakura's fussing ceased momentarily to regard Ino, who was now standing directly in front of her. Had it been anyone but Ino, surely the smile set tightly on Sakura's face would have fooled them into thinking it was Sai. The tugging at the corners of Sakura's mouth never reached her eyes.

The statement only seemed to set Sakura into a silent resignation. All she could think about was how wrong Naruto's nindo sounded on Ino's lips.

"Nobody ever keeps their promises."

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Shikamaru watched in feigned boredom as Sakura was hauled off by a number of shinobi.

_To the hospital for observation, _he thought dejectedly.

He couldn't understand her pain.

When Asuma had died, his team had a chance to keep him alive and even when they failed, proper goodbyes had been available to them. But, in Sakura's case, she'd already lost her first love and now she lost the other member of her team. There was no opportunity for her to save him and there would be no opportunity for a goodbye.

Shikamaru was anything but a fool.

He knew this mission had a lower prospect of success then taking the whole of Akatsuki down with their meager team of four. It was likely that was exactly what they would have to do.

Naruto's Bijuu was the strongest of them all and there was no chance Akatsuki would take the possibility of loss lightly. This would either become a suicide or an uncompleted mission, of that Shikamaru was sure.

His attention was drawn back to the current situation from a delicate sob. Kiba and Lee were trying desperately to calm Ino down, with very little success. Shikamaru felt slightly guilty, knowing as her original team mate and friend, he should be doing his best to help her, but comforting people had never been his forte.

People were an easy puzzle when it came to battles, but when emotions were involved, forget it, Shikamaru became more clueless then the day he was born.

His lips parted in an effort to get his team going while it was still light out. He closed them just as quickly, swallowing any orders he'd been about to voice. shout

Surprisingly, it didn't matter that Shikamaru had suddenly lost his voice, because Ino had just found her own. "We need to go." Her nose pointed up towards the sky in a manner that may have come off as arrogant, but Shikamaru knew it just prevented the falling of further tears. "I have a promise I need to keep."

Everyone's resolution steeled before Shikamaru's eyes. Despite the fact that they'd never gotten as close with Naruto as Sakura was, Shikamaru knew Tsunade couldn't have picked a more determined group of shinobi.

"Lets go!" There was a moment of hesitation as Shikamaru took the lead until the rest followed closely behind. None of them spared a glance back to Konoha as they distanced themselves from the village.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-

.

_(Flashback)_

_._

"_Hold his head still!" Tsunade's voice broke through the room. It rang through Naruto's ears, accompanied by a dull throbbing; a feeling easily ignored in comparison to his the unwelcome sensations causing havoc in his eyes._

"_It bu-burns!" Naruto broke off into a fit of coughs but he persisted in his struggles, tugging harshly at the restraints preventing his escape. He was used to the stinging and burning sensations, but it had never gone this far before. The pain was indescribable; throwing his brain into a mantra of unintelligible curses._

_The extraction started out as normal. Tsunade had begun with less sensitive areas, the outline of his eyes, where Naruto could now see almost perfectly, only clouded by the small center area of his eyes. He knew eventually they'd have to move on into the more delicate spots around his pupil and iris; where the majority of the poison now lingered. _

_She hadn't given him any warning. Just like Naruto had asked of her. He didn't want to dread the onslaught of pain or to grip the sides of the bed in fear and anticipation. So he opted for the 'unexpected' approach. _

_He was regretting it now._

_Once the initial shock wore off and the pain set in, Naruto had a hard time keeping himself on the bed. Raising his chest in an attempt to keep his head still; taking the required measures to not disturb Tsunade's work. Despite his efforts, Naruto tried desperately to tear his eyes away, kick out, and grab at any nearby object. Anything to distract himself._

_The shouting and violence of Naruto's movements had filled the room for almost an hour before he registered Tsunade's cry for help, desperation dripping from her words._

_A sudden weight pressed down on Naruto's shoulders before a similar pressure was on his wrists and ankles as well; hands. He briefly wondered how hard he was struggling to educe this drastic of a reaction. He was so focused on the feelings coarsen through him to realize the chaos he was causing._

_Finally, as Naruto exhausted all measures along with the rest of the room's occupants, Tsunade was satisfied with her work and Naruto felt her chakra die down until it diminished completely._

_His breathing was still erratic, fingers twitching in the aftermath of Tsunade's onslaught. He gazed lazily in Tsunade's direction, noticing that her body shaking slightly from exertion. Naruto knew it had been risky. Not to mention selfish to finish the rest of his procedures in one go. He could already feel the guilt burning his throat, threatening to spill out. _

_They'd saved the most fragile part of their dealings for last, specifically to give themselves more time to work on the more damaged area. Somewhere during the first part of their session, Tsunade had finally moved into the center part of Naruto's first eye._

_The results had been…unforeseen._

_Tsunade and Naruto had prepared for a slower flow of poison from the new territory compared to the previous. Their endless research and theories had equipped Naruto with false assumptions. It turned out to be the exact opposite of what they understood. The poison nearly poured into her chakra pool; hovering above. It was presumably the main cause of the increased discomfort. There was no way for Tsunade to control the amount coming out. _

_Naruto's protest had her uncertain about going on, but they would inevitably have to continue if not now, in another session. If she had stopped, the next time would just be that much harder for Naruto. _

"_It's done, Naruto. It's all been removed." Her voice came out hoarse, as if she'd been screaming too. _

_-.-.-.-.-_

_Tsunade was anxious for Naruto's reaction, almost crying out in joy when he managed a small smile, eyes still closed and face scrunched in distress. Somehow his smile managed to overcome any obstacles, quelling the anxiety Tsunade was trying not to choke on._

"_Thanks…Old…Hag." Naruto promptly passed out, barely speaking the last few words._

_Tsunade brushed the sweaty bangs from his forehead, hoping that beneath closed lids Naruto's eyes were now shining with their old unrivaled blue. Would the lack of toxins take away the fog screen that stole Naruto's most identifiable feature other than his smile?_

_Tsunade was very aware not all the toxins had been removed. It was impossible, but the amount still present in Naruto's eyes was hardly enough to cause even the most minimal damage to his sight. Although she still wasn't completely aware of the side effects, it was possible his vision would come and go or he could feel unexplainable pain out of the blue._

_Tsunade had prepared for the worst, but was eager for the more enjoyable outcome. Even if Naruto sense of sight acted up once in a while, it was better than nothing. Naruto had been willing and excited from the start and Tsunade knew he would be more that pleased with the results, whatever the downsides._

"_Prepare a room for him. I don't want him out of bed for the next couple of days and I want him under observation for a week, at the very least."_

_All the healers paled under her authority, obviously having heard about Naruto's habit of leaving his hospital bed even under direct orders not to. Naruto was a bundle of energy and mended abnormally fast. Keeping him still was next to impossible and there was yet to be any person successful in their attempts._

"_Do I need to repeat myself?" Anger leaked effortlessly into Tsunade's voice, causing everyone to take a few steps back._

_Tsunade was more terrifying than the prospect of handling the ball of vigor and liveliness known as Naruto._

_Tsunade watched tiredly while they wheeled him out of the surgery room and towards one better equipped for long stays. Now all she had to do was come up with an excuse to get out of all that damn paperwork she knew Shizune had waiting for her._

_Her fingers ran through her blonde locks, yanking through the knots in frustration._

"_First things first, time for a drink."_

_She quickly made for the window, paranoid at the prospect of Shizune waiting for her at the hospital's entrance. Tsunade could make out the annoyed curl of lips and Shizune tapping her foot insistently; awaiting her return._

It was definitely time for a drink first, _she thought blissfully._

.

-.-.-.-.-

.

The feeling of wind moving his hair about wildly, the fresh smell of surrounding pines and the distant scent of a body of water. It used to give Naruto a sense of calmness from his hectic everyday life as a ninja. The only noises were the forest's wildlife, which only added to the serene experience.

It was so peaceful.

All the sense of serenity and peace was lost on Naruto now as the experience of traveling the in the untamed land took a new meaning. Now, he would forever associate it with being carried none too carefully on the shoulder of his greatest enemy; no means of escape in his reach.

He was due back from his mission days ago, but it was impracticable to assume a retrieval team had been sent out for him.

Part of Naruto hoped Konoha wouldn't send a team out, with predictable defeat in their future. There was no way Akatsuki would let anyone get their hands on Naruto and he'd prefer if no one got hurt trying.

Tsunade would send help without a doubt, Naruto was sure. Her stubbornness couldn't be stopped no matter what the sacrifice; a trait she needed to work on with the council and elders watching her so closely. They'd already grown highly suspicious of her hiding their little 'experiments.' Had it not been for Naruto having a lot of recent victory in missions, they would have put up a fuss about wasting valuable time.

Not like it mattered.

She would send the team she thought was best and least attached to him personally and they would unavoidably lose; hopefully with minimal casualties.

"It seems our friend has finally awaken, Itachi-san."

Naruto blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the beams of bright light seeping through the trees. He shifted experimentally, trying to avoid aggravating whatever was left of his wounds. His ankle, he could tell without moving, was in much better shape. He couldn't have been out for very long, which meant Kyuubi had been working quite admirably on his abused body.

The eyes alone usually took all of Kyuubi's healing to fix quickly but he'd managed that and more.

His ankle wasn't of much use now, unfortunately.

Naruto shifted again and a pair of sandals crossed his line of vision. The feet were pale and the shoulder he was thrown over felt ridiculously oversized; he was being carried on Kisame. That meant Itachi was making headway just few feet away from Naruto's face; obviously unwilling to stray from his catch.

He tentatively raised his head, getting close to Itachi's face before a particularly large shaft of light hit his eyes. Naruto ducked, clamping his eyes shut in defense.

Naruto reopened his eyes; blinking rapidly in a show of surprise.

Nothing.

_Damn, Kyuubi did a decent job on me, considering the day I had yesterday. _He thought gratefully. Wishing his normally lousy tenant could hear him.

"Don't over exert yourself." Itachi's voice reached his ears with its emotionless glory.

Naruto grunted in disagreement but it came out as more of a whimper with its misuse. The pair seemed to assume he was in a great deal of pain as Naruto felt his stomach drop with the jump, he readjusted once they landed. It was more likely they'd already planned to stop for a break than for Naruto's well-being.

His assumptions were confirmed when Kisame dumped him from his perch unceremoniously.

A sharp object jabbed his back a few times in what was meant to be a threatening manner. "Don't try to run, or I'll cut off your legs."

Naruto raised his arms in mock innocence, showing off the tightly bound wire around his wrists and ankles for good measure. "As if I could."

Kisame seemed somewhat disgruntled by Naruto's tone of defiance. Maybe he expected Naruto to be broken already. Regrettably, in that sense, Kisame was stuck with the worst Jinchuriki of the lot. He wasn't going down without a fight. In fact, it was unlikely he'd be broken at all.

Naruto squirmed around awkwardly, trying to his best to sit up.

He ignored the fact that Kisame and Itachi were probably watching his pathetic attempts at such an easy action. In his defense, it wasn't as easy with sore and bound limbs. He almost made it into an upright position before giving up, rolling over with his back to the ground.

The shoulders of his top tightened in a firm grip, hauling him off the ground and into his desired arrangement. His legs dragged against the ground while he was pulled closer to a disgruntled looking Kisame and propped along a smooth rocky surface.

He looked towards Itachi in surprise, a question clear throughout his face.

Itachi acknowledged him vaguely, barely sparing a glance in Naruto's direction. "We need to keep you close, in case anyone travels in our direction." Naruto could feel the rest of Itachi's words hanging silently in the air, 'in case anyone attempts to rescue you.'

Naruto couldn't let that happen.

The power of these two shinobi alone was enough to take out any team Konoha could send. Not counting the numerous other members of the organization that would surely some to guarantee their Jinchuuriki's delivery. Konoha ninja wouldn't stand a chance.

During the Gaara retrieval they had quantity and quality. A good amount of ninjas had been present and with Chiyo- Baa-sama's experience, they'd managed to defeat only two members. One of which had managed to survive.

Naruto was sure Itachi and Kisame were stronger than both the other Akatsuki members they had fought. Not to mention the small amount of shinobi Tsunade currently had at her disposal due to rogue ninja in surrounding villages causing a big ruckus. Most likely it was a few of his familiars from Rookie nine.

Naruto would be damned if let them get hurt.

The only problem was getting them to retreat without following through with orders.

Naruto had to do whatever it took to keep them safe. Even at the price of his own life.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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**A/N:**

_Ah, finished finally! The long awaited chapter. I apologize. It was terribly difficult to write and I've been so busy with school and other promised fics. So forgive me. I made it a bit longer than the others, as the future chapters will be._

_I appreciate you taking time to read and review. I love you all! _

_Further explanation will be given about Naruto's eyes and first, slightly confusing, part of this chapter. It will all be covered I promise. Patience makes for a satisfied reader _

_Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I realize a lot of you will be confused about the first paragraph, which will be better explained next chapter ;)_

_Hope you liked it._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes:**

This chapter was originally Beta'd but I made some changes after getting the revised chapter back so there is bound to be some mistakes, that have nothing to do with my always lovely Beta. If any are too obnoxious to ignore, let me know and I'll correct them. Sorry for the wait and thanks so much for all your support over the years.

**Story:**

Be My Eyes

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Rating/Warning(s):**

Rated M for violence, language and sexual situations.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Naruto, or its characters.

**Beta:**

Imperial Mint

**Summary:**

Strength is measured through courage. Test its abilities, not with physical strength but the ability to withstand it mentally. Goals set high and a promise to keep; Naruto may have bit off more than he can chew. And then there was Itachi.

.

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Chapter 5:

Unsuccessful was a word Naruto believed fit every aspect of his situation.

And _tiring._

Weary and drained and so, so tired.

The heavy drag of his body felt as if anchors were pulling him down. Naruto constantly rubbed his eyes, unable to shake the sting from lack of sleep, like bits of sand trapped on the insides of his eyelids, rubbing insistently against his eyes. His eyes watered less and less every time in their attempt to relieve some of the ache. It was making Naruto weary of the hindrances still to come. But for now, he could focus on his longing for a quick rest; an unachievable goal. He had to stay focused and alert, ready to spot any signs of Konoha ninja attempting a rescue, though Naruto doubted anyone could catch up to the pace they were traveling, especially considering their head start.

Each blink felt heavenly as he let the blackness wash over his senses, breathing in and out deeply, head nodding to the side slightly. All too soon, the calmness and relaxation of impending sleep would come and Naruto would snap his eyes open with a start, biting the inside of his cheek and pinching his arm to bring him back to reality. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go without rest. The soft tickle of hair caressing his face and the rough wind resistance were all that was keeping him aware and such a deep contrast to lulling rhythm of Itachi's pace, his footfalls were so smooth and perfected, Naruto was tempted to lean over and see if they were traveling on clouds, but the effort it would take was lost on Naruto.

He never knew such an agony could exist from such a simple necessity; just proving that everyday needs were easily taken for granted. There was nothing that could compare to this feeling; anything but this would surely be a relief, of that Naruto was sure.

That was until his exhaustion gave way to dehydration.

The heavy weight of his exhaustion was suddenly so insignificant, the inability to imagine anything worse than his overly weakened state forgotten.

Naruto vaguely remembered a sad tale, one of the few stories he'd overheard as a child that didn't have a happy ending. It's depressing nature was probably why it stuck in Naruto's mind after all these years. Or maybe it was the abrupt realization of their alike situations. He'd always considered the story to be just a gloomy wise tail, made up in a moment of boredom. Now, though, he found it to be more realistic than his five year old self could have understood.

_A man walks through a desert, grounds dry and cracked, skies hot and unmerciful, nothing left for his body to produce a simple sweat; the most excruciating form of torment. His body is sick with hunger and thirst, nothing else could matter. All, he could comprehend is the dire need to quench his thirst. He moaned and cried out until his throat was so parched nothing escaped but silence. Mouth hung open in a distorted fashion, as if hoping for the smallest drop of liquid would land on his dry tongue, unknowingly walking father into endless blankets of sand and closer to his death._

The rest of the story described his death, in more detail than he was willing to muse on, seeing as his own death would be coming in a comparable fashion at this rate.

Naruto should have been grateful for Itachi's presence, holding him up, since he surely would have collapsed but he found his mind unable to focus on anything else but the memory of water. He opened and shut his mouth, trying to form some type of moisture in his mouth but only managing to let the wind do even more damage. He lost track of how long they'd been traveling; only coming back around when he was set roughly on the ground, tossed to the side, akin to an unimportant burden.

If there was one thing he absolutely refused to do, it was to appear weak in front of an enemy. Naruto refused to show any signs of hunger, exhaustion, and mental or physical pain; not in front of these people. Not even when the weight of going almost seven days without food and four without solider pills, finally settled on his mind. The bubbling sensation was starting to grow, forming in the inner parts of stomach before the loud protest of being denied its food sounded, causing Naruto to clutch his abdomen tightly in an effort to conceal as much of the noise as possible. It didn't go unnoticed by either of the Akatsuki members, sitting only a few feet away on either side of him.

He watched Kisame pause in his chewing, turning to give Naruto an amused smirk, "Hungry?" Kisame chuckled and Naruto could see he was obviously satisfied with himself as turned his attention back to the meat of whatever wild animal Itachi had managed to kill that day. It looked to Naruto like squirrel, but the blackened flesh made it hard to be sure.

Anything seemed edible to him at this point. Naruto would gladly smother his face in dirt if it meant his overwhelming hunger would be temporarily suppressed. His pride held him back though, and the knowledge that eating the snow-covered earth would not only come back to haunt to him later but probably send Naruto into a state of hypothermia. That didn't keep him from imagining how good it would feel to have the cold snow melting in his mouth, washing over his tongue to revive his dry aching throat.

It's not like it mattered much to his company whether or not Naruto was comfortable, but in order for their plans to be accomplished, Naruto would have to make it to the base alive and water was a necessity. He considered, for the smallest of moments, asking for what his body was craving; what it needed desperately, but decided it.

He lean forward, his chin resting along his collarbone in an uncomfortable position. Every part of Naruto's body ached no matter what position he chose, and he could feel the rough bounds chaffing deeper into his wrists. No matter how many times his body tried to repair itself, the ropes remained, and so did the sores beneath them; never getting a chance to properly heal. It was like trying to heal a stab wound with knife still lodged deeply in the victim.

The strength to open his eyes didn't exist and even the sharp pieces of bark now digging into his back couldn't persuade Naruto to move. It unnerved him to be so unaware of his surroundings; it wasn't something he was used to. Naruto had always been good at adapting to new, unforeseen circumstances; it was expected of a shinobi. The possibility of losing your cover or failing a mission kept you on your toes, and more times than not, landed Naruto in predicaments he wasn't entirely comfortable with. But he always adjusted accordingly.

His current situation was a bit different, though. At least with any other ninja, on a mission or in enemy territory, death would be quick; preferably dealt to you without giving you the chance to blink an eye. The civil way, quick and easy.

This was slow and cruel.

Kisame's distinct chuckle broke out in the silence, sounding farther away than Naruto knew him to be, "Kid looks like he's going to die before we get there. I'm surprised the cold didn't take him before we made it out of Konoha." That struck Naruto's inner cords, the recollection of snow drifting through his hazy mind.

Snow.

Frozen water.

Before he even realized his own actions, Naruto leaned his weight to one side, jerking in a last ditched effort before his side successfully hit the ground with a resounding thud. His cheek scraped roughly against the earth; not the snow covered kind he had hoped for but only the chilled winter ground, hard dirt with an occasional blade of grass poking at Naruto's chapped skin. The chuckle sounded again, causing Naruto's face to pinch in anger. One hand gripped his upper arm tightly, the other sliding beneath his body to secure him back against the tree trunk.

Naruto, finally found what thread of strength he had left, opening his eyes slightly to study Itachi's blank face that was just a few inches from his own. He traced over the undeniably handsome features, shameless in his curiosity. What went on behind those impassive eyes and stone-set features? What thoughts ran through the infamous Uchiha's closed off mind? His view was interrupted. Naruto squinted his eyes to adjust, his attention zeroed in on the small metal canteen presented to him, watching the beads of water drip down the sides. "Drink." Itachi's voice broke him out of his stupor and he pushed aside the stubborn attitude that was fighting to take over.

Naruto licked his dry lips in anticipation, reaching forward with his bound hands, moving around awkwardly in different directions to get a good grip on the slippery object. He pulled it closer to his face, slowly at first. Itachi's hand was still secured on the bottom of the canteen as he tossed it back. He ignored the minor drowning feeling as the water rushed into his mouth, filling every crevice with its precious aid. He choked a few times as he attempted to swallow until he found a calm rhythm to keep it down.

Relief flooded his system as Naruto finally pulled away from the water, unable to stop some of the precious fluid from escaping. A quick glance up to Itachi confirmed his suspicion of being watched. Both Itachi and Kisame seemed content with the distance they covered and allowing a short rest. A part of Naruto, a part he easily ignored, felt guilty with Itachi and Kisame supposedly unaware of their pursuers. If he'd been in good enough state to laugh at himself he would have. How he could allow himself to feel guilt for the people delivering him to his death, he wasn't sure. Just the idea of it was ridiculous and Naruto stomped the feeling down, shoving it to the very back of his mind with the rest of the emotions he wasn't allowed.

The burn of vile and undigested water tickled the back of his throat. When it threatened to pool up into his mouth, Naruto swallowed audibly, wincing as the bad taste licked the back of his throat.

"Kisame," Itachi spoke calmly. Kisame tilted his head slightly in their direction. "We'll need more water. Set up a barrier." Kisame made no objection to the commanding tone, just stood slowly, making his way to the edge of the small break in trees and headed off into the forest.

Naruto turned his eyes back to the campfire, feigning interest in the red flames nipping at the night air. A shiver slipped past his control, snaking through his body while he stared at the distant warmth.

Naruto gasped when cold hands gripped around his upper arms again, chilling the exposed flesh beneath a tear in his shirt before setting him down closer to the man-made inferno. He watched from the opposite side of the fire as Itachi sat gracefully on the forest floor. Itachi's stare sent another shiver through him despite his newfound warmth.

"How far are we from Konoha?" Naruto didn't really expect an answer.

For a moment, there was just the snapping sound of burning twigs and the nocturnal wild creatures lurking nearby until Itachi spoke.

"Far enough."

Naruto let out a heavy breath, breaking his gaze away from glowing eyes.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Kisame grunted, letting his hand fall against his side while he surveyed the chakra humming quietly along the barrier he created. Satisfied with the strength of the jutsu, he turned away, crouching beside the slow running water not a few feet away to fill the canteens tied around his waist. He unlatched the first, hesitating for a moment before he pressed the canteen to his side to keep it still.

Untying the fastens along his waist may have normally been enough to distract Kisame from any subtle or hidden movements, but with his chakra swimming around Kisame's senses became hyper-aware of the on-goings within the barrier.

He ignored the itch to reach for his sword, dunking another canteen beneath the chilly water, relishing in the cool comfort it provided him.

The presence behind Kisame startled him. He hadn't expected them to act so quickly and was unprepared for an attack of such speed.

'Fast,' he thought to himself.

Kisame narrowed his eyes, remaining still as a prison of water circled around his body, spreading outward into a large confinement. He turned his head slightly, trying to get a look at his attacker. He knew it couldn't take much effort to break free from a low-level water prison jutsu. Toying with the enemy was his preferable first choice, but with Itachi and the jinjuriki close by he couldn't afford any mistakes.

His body twisted as much as the water would allow, a strong resistance pushing back against his movements. The jutsu was not as simple as he originally thought and the lack of appearance on his enemy's part was starting to make him feel on edge. If it happened to be some random stragglers from a nearby village, hoping to prove their worth by killing an Akatsuki member, he was sure they would have shown themselves by now; declaring their success in catching him off guard and how his death would lead them to internal glory.

The silence unnerved him greatly and he almost wished for a boasting idiot to jump out of their hiding. Kisame's fingers tingled with anticipation of the coming fight.

It was more than likely an ally of the Leaf, or Leaf shinobi themselves - either attempting to keep him separated from Itachi and the jinjurikki or weighing their options on what to do with him.

He struggled against the resistance, pulling his hands up to break the jutsu, but found himself incapable; frozen. Kisame didn't understand how this was possible. Frowning a bit, he considered baiting his enemy out into the open while he tried to find any flaws.

"You must be looking for the Kyuubi vessel…Naruto was his name?"

A dark shadow fell over Kisame's line of vision, the water whirling around his figure, effectively positioning him to face its creator, "The Kyuubi is being apprehended as we speak. There is no use to keep you alive."

Kisame's eyes narrowed, taking note of the Leaf symbol on the forehead protector tied loosely around the –now identified- ANBU's neck. The way he unashamedly left out the word 'vessel' when referring to the jinjurikki did not escape Kisame's notice. He chose to remain silent, never one to speak of a coming victory too soon, despite his normally smug attitude and uncensored speech. He knew very well that fights could often – and easily- flip to another's favor. Results of a fight were never set in stone until the very end.

The ANBU should have known better.

The space around him grew cramped and warm very suddenly, reminding him of his predicament. A dark, familiar mass was squeezed in with him, obstructing his focus on the Leaf ninja. It took Kisame a moment to register, denial and shock clouding his mind from comprehending. As soon as a fin brushed against his side, moving back and forth vigorously, he knew what the shinobi meant to do.

"I'm sure you know your fair share about sharks Kisame-san. So, no explanation is needed."

Kisame wanted to laugh and he didn't hold back the ironic chuckle. Thinking back to his first conversation with Itachi, he couldn't really believe it had come to this so coincidentally.

Ignoring the testing swipe of teeth to his arm, Kisame concentrated again on the enemy, smiling in mirth. "I guess this must be it for me."

The ninja stood for a moment, surveying him, Kisame assumed, before unsheathing his sword and preparing to leave. He shot Kisame one more look over his shoulder. Kisame heard him clearly despite the loud splashes of water around him, "My presence is no longer needed. Once you have been killed, the barrier will fall as well." Without another word the shinobi was gone, leaving Kisame to stare after him.

'Itachi-san…'

"Shit!" A harsh bite tore through Kisame's leg, easily breaking skin with razor sharp teeth. The previously subtle tests to his flesh were becoming more feral; more confident. Kisame gritted his teeth together as the beast continued to tear at his flesh, unable to fight it off. He closed his eyes, trying to focus all his chakra toward the areas currently being gnawed on and mentally preparing himself for the shock. If this justu failed, he was out of options.

He didn't have to wait long for the electrical charge as it surged through his body, intensified by the surrounding water. He released the pool of chakra, ache rippling along his limbs from the self-inflicted pain. But, it had the desired outcome, effectively hitting the carnivorous shark through their contact and shaking Kisame free from its hold.

Kisame watched through wary eyes as the shark went into a fit of spasms, stilling after a short time and rounding back on Kisame, the aggression returning with a vengeance.

Its attacks were faster now. The surprisingly intelligent beast narrowly avoided the dangerous chakra by taking quick, but equally unforgiving bites instead of clamping down. Occasionally the shock of chakra caught it, barely managing to divert the beast for a short time. Kisame's plan wouldn't continue to work this way and he'd be dead from excessive blood loss in a matter of minutes.

The only other option was to spread the chakra out from inside him, encasing them both in a ball of water and electricity; a deadly combination.

It would undoubtedly kill the shark and destroy the water prison, but there was no guarantee Kisame would survive the process. Another brutal attack had Kisame's vision blurring. He had to act quickly while he still had the ability. There was no chance of survival, should this keep up, waiting and hoping that Itachi could take out the Anbu quickly. And that was assuming there weren't more of them.

Taking in a deep breath and a mouthful blood-laced water, Kisame gathered everything bit of energy he had left, shooting chakra out in every direction. The vivid lights and colors blinded him momentarily with their brightness. His ears rang under the piercing sound so close to him; all around him. As his eyes adjusted, he could just scarcely make out the dying form before him, watching its struggles as the water was pushed outward with his chakra until it caved under the pressure- dropping bit by bit like crumbling pieces of earth.

Even after the light had faded, Kisame's vision continued to darken. His body made bone-crushing contact with the ground. The sensations of the forest's presence and occupants drifted away from his awareness. He knew without looking that the massive barrier of chakra was following in the footsteps of the water prison. It would give Naruto and Itachi the chance to flee, having made a barrier that practically locked them in with their attackers.

The living world was too hard to hold onto but Kisame did his best to fight the losing-battle.

"_If he dies, you fail and Akatsuki's goals are no longer obtainable."_

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-.-.-.-.-.-

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Itachi stared ahead, barely paying any mind to what was being said, and focusing instead on how many enemies had circled around them. Naruto let out a choked sound and Itachi snapped his gaze down to the kunai pressing harshly against Naruto's neck. His eyes narrowed as they followed the trail of blood oozing down from the metal digging into Naruto's jugular.

Letting himself be caught off guard was not acceptable. He had made the mistake of putting too much trust in Kisame's abilities. Itachi did another once-over of the trees and brush, counting fifteen chakra signatures aside from Naruto's and his own. A sixteenth signature, although a bit farther away than the rest, was growing closer by the moments.

"We aren't here to make trouble, we're only passing through," he tried calmly. Words weren't his strong suite, but if it could get him out of this situation, he wasn't unwilling to try.

"We?" The raspy voice questioned. His grip around Naruto's waist and leaned down to sneer in his ear, "It seems your _friend_ is under the impression that the third person in your party is still alive. However, he's mistaken. The other Akatsuki member has been eliminated. It's no matter though, _you," _emphasized, gripping Naruto tightly, yet again, "have been traded to my ownership. And you," he pointed tilted his head in Itachi's direction, "you'll make good use as well, once we've cracked your hard shell."

"That's assuming that you're able to take us without a fight." Naruto voice shocked everyone. It sounded weak and hoarse backing up the bold statement. A very bold statement, in Itachi's opinion, coming from someone whose life was in the hands of their enemy.

Naruto's eyes stared defiantly into his own, obviously having made the decision that his chances with Itachi were far better than with these people, but he couldn't fathom why. Maybe he figured immediate death was better than the possibility of drawn out torture sessions.

The still unidentified man chuckled loudly, amused by either Naruto's proclamation, or the state in which he made it, Itachi assumed. Naruto's eyes narrowed, finally freeing Itachi from his stare to gaze down at the ground with a contemplating look. Sensing the question that was hanging on Naruto's lips, Itachi turned his attention back to Naruto's new captor. "You said he was traded?" A nod and the slow turning up of lips was his answer. "Under what circumstances?"

"It isn't all that surprising really…Konoha's hate runs deep for the demon who destroyed their home and loved-ones. They don't easily let go of a grudge, do they. Vengeful village you both come from, yes?"

Naruto remained silent and unmoving, seemingly unaffected. No crying or protests of the sudden revelation. There were no looks of surprise or betrayal.

"Maybe you already knew that though Naruto." The man questioned, angling Naruto's head back to draw an angry red line down the length of Naruto's neck. Itachi watched him swallow slowly, but other than that, Naruto seemed unfazed by the man's tactics.

"I've spent enough time humoring you, Akatsuki-san." The man nodded his head toward the hidden reinforcements, jumping back onto a low branch with Naruto pressed full against his chest.

Itachi gave the new ninjas his assessment, deciding who would be the easiest to take out and who would be the hardest. Most of the work was done for him though when the first ninja attacked, bypassing any further orders and diving straight into a fight. It hadn't taken Itachi long to get rid of him, but he couldn't say the same for the rest of them.

With twelve down and two left, Itachi discovered they were fighting in order of their skill level; wearing him out on the weakest of the group and moving up. It put them at an advantage, even though Itachi had caught on rather early and did his best to stretch out his energy. None of them were weak per say, Anbu level at least. The sixteenth chakra signature remained distant, as if unwilling to partake in the fight.

Normally, Itachi wouldn't have to take into consideration that his current mission was being held captive, but his hindrance was being used against him flawlessly. Supposing the man holding Naruto captive was the strongest of them, he wasn't sure he could get Naruto back alive, when he finished with the rest of the man's followers.

A kick stole the attention away from his thoughts and to the overly-eager swings of double short swords. He evaded their attempts easily, but realized counting on his sharingan at this point after using it fluently in his previous fights, would do more harm then good. Not only that but it would weaken his focus, which was partially on knowing Naruto's whereabouts and partially on the current fight.

So, while it seemed as though Itachi may lose, everything was actually going according to plan in his own mind. He could spread out the last of chakra reserves, virtually setting aside a specific amount for his final fight, but would leave him with little leftover. There was always a few tricks up his sleeve; a number of powerful jutsus, and not to mention Susano, but should it be necessary to use them, it was possible they could kill Naruto in the process. And should they, by some odd twist in fate, not work then Itachi would become vulnerable and void of any power.

Itachi reached backwards, grabbing a fistful of fabric and yanking a body up and over his head. A sharp pain grazed the back of his neck, but he ignored it, thrusting the body forward to use it as a human shield for the fast approaching sword. Itachi was satisfied when he heard the weapon breach through skin. The point exited dangerously close to his own heart, stopping just a few inches short.

Quickly tossing the limp body to the side, sword still embedded, he rushed forward; decapitating the last of his enemies with a loud huff of exertion. His legs and arms burned with their endless efforts, but he dismissed their protests and turned his attention back to Naruto. It took a great deal of effort to prevent his hands from shaking, but the sudden cold sweat breaking out on his forehead was unavoidable.

"Well, well. You lasted longer than I thought. It seems you live past the rumors of your skills Akatsuki-san. I have the feeling you didn't show you true strength…The Uchiha are such amazing specimens. Even still, it isn't enough."

Itachi's brows furrowed, trying to produce the question on his mind. It was nearly one on one now, aside from Naruto's presence. And considering he had yet to use higher power jutsus, the man was still so sure he would prevail. Itachi took a step forward, almost collapsing under the simple movement. Swallowing thickly, Itachi's heart rate began to quicken, beating loudly in his ears. The man smiled ruefully at his state of distress, observing the way Itachi's chest heaved.

Naruto looked at him with sympathy, or pity. But, it didn't really matter because to Itachi they were nearly the same; unneeded and insulting. He took little time to consider Naruto's sudden compassion.

His knees hit the forest floor, sinking deep into the mud and spreading it out under his weight.

"Perfect timing, Naioku. If you would be so kind."

Itachi no longer had to struggle with the endeavor of keeping himself upright, finding himself tossed carelessly over a broad shoulder.

"All he needed was one scratch, just the smallest touch and it was all over."

_A sharp pain grazed the back of his neck…_

He closed his eyes in disappointment, ceasing his fights against the inevitable darkness.

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-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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Their travels to…wherever they were now, had taken longer than Naruto was comfortable with. He'd figured out they were moving in circles at first; twisting and turning in an effort to ensure Naruto wouldn't know his way back to this place, should he ever get out.

Naruto remembered being a genin, remembered the long treks of missions, where after the initial excitement of jumping from branch to branch at high speed had worn off and given way to fatigue. It was times like those that Naruto wanted nothing more than to jump on his sensei, or any nearby teammate for that matter, and ride the rest of the way.

He couldn't fathom why, though. Not after traveling on numerous backs and shoulders of different enemies. It brought forth an overwhelming nausea, and the dreadful feeling that came with lack of control.

The nips of wind fluttering through his hair and blowing harshly against his face were a welcome distraction; fighting off his urge to puke or scream. Or maybe both.

The sickness disappeared almost as soon as Naruto was set down. He could almost appreciate the dark cold cell, with drips of water echoing between the dirty walls.

Wiggling his wrists around under the new cold clasps of metal, Naruto sighed. He was freed from the set of scratchy ropes only to have them replaced by too-small, solid handcuffs. It gave him relief from the insistent chaffing along his skin, but he knew the metal's grasp was tight enough to continue rubbing them raw.

He started a bit when the bundle a few feet from him twitched slightly. Naruto could tell Itachi was awake, but like any good ninja, was inspecting his surroundings before announcing his return to reality. Naruto exhaled shortly from his nose, scooting as close as the binds would allow to asses any damage their captors may have caused.

Really, he shouldn't have cared.

But there were few reasons to take them both alive; one being to use them as bait, the other to ground out information about Konoha, or maybe even both. Naruto had been provided a lot of time to consider which option was worse, Akatsuki, or these unknown threats who were supposedly connected to someone within his village.

To add to that, being in Akastuki's clutches, out in the wilderness, gave Naruto a much better opportunity for a getaway.

"I haven't been able to figure out where we are. They blindfolded us before entering whatever village or town we're in," Naruto spoke softly. He mine as well have been speaking to himself for all the response he received.

He watched Itachi sit up slowly, tensing against the strain of whatever poison his body was fighting off.

"How do you feel?" Naruto asked genuinely.

Itachi turned to him slowly, his face as void as ever. The staring continued on until Naruto blinked, averting his gaze to the floor. His rested his head against the wall behind him, pretending not to notice that Itachi's eyes were still fixed on him.

"Fine, all things considered."

Naruto smiled, swallowing down the bit of hope that rose within him.

'_A completely different person,' _he had to remind himself. Even so, back then it had been a matter of following orders, so he couldn't act as if Itachi ever truly cared for Naruto's well-being. Sighing at the directions his thoughts traveled, Naruto focused on his senses, trying again to decipher any new noises or smells coming from outside their cell.

Still nothing.

He could vaguely make out the sounds of pipes and a small draft, nothing different from his early discoveries. It was hard for Naruto to keep track of the time with how distracted he kept allowing himself to get. They'd been here a few hours maybe? He couldn't really be sure.

"Staring makes me uncomfortable," he announced rather uncaringly. "Do you have any ideas on how to get out of here?"

Itachi's eyes drooped slightly and Naruto instantly felt guilty for not probing further on his state of health. "What about Kisame?" Naruto waited for a reply, "you know, blue, tall, looks like a fish?"

Naruto swore he saw a bit of mirth in those eyes, but dismissed it as a trick of dim light reflecting over them.

"Dead," Itachi replied eventually.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said, unsure of what else he could say.

Itachi raised a brow, challenging the truth of Naruto's gesture. He perked up instantly, leaning forward and holding a hand up toward Itachi, should he find it necessary to speak without reason, however unlikely that was. Naruto could here the faint sound of footsteps growing closer.

He glanced up at his cell mate briefly, noting the way Itachi was struggling to keep his eyes open, but trying his best to hide it. The door swung open before Naruto could give him any warning. Naruto was sure Itachi had anticipated their entrance just as much, but maybe a bit later than himself.

The first one in wore a smile that looked disgustingly pleased with the scene before him. Naruto grunted lowly, deciding he looked more sadistic than Ibiki. His heart pounded in his ears as he watched the man focus solely on Itachi, his first choice victim being made obvious. Itachi, for his part, stared uncaringly toward the three figures having come to a similar conclusion as Naruto.

"Grab the Uchiha." The two mean stood still behind him, passing looks between Naruto and Itachi. "You imbeciles! The dark-haired one, grab the dark-haired one!"

They scampered out from behind the man, rushing to grab Itachi roughly under each arm. They disregarded the way his arms strained against his binds, pulling them in opposite directions. Itachi showed a look of discomfort but remained silent as he was dragged from the room, leaving Naruto alone with threatening man.

"Ah, how rude of me…let me introduce myself to you, I am Kouhei-san." Kouhei stepped closer to Naruto, bending to meet his eyes better, "we'll be getting to know each other _very _well these next few days." He winked at Naruto, before straightening out and turning on his heel to exit fluently.

Naruto bit his lip, clenching his eyes tightly and banging his head against the wall. It ached horribly, sending a throb of pain across his skull. He couldn't _not_ care. Even after spending so much time in his solitaire, the anxiety and concern taking over was a force to be reckoned with.

He'd happily let the ground open up and devour him into its darkness.

Fully aware there was nothing more to do than anticipate Itachi's return and his turn that was sure to come, Naruto breathed deeply. He needed to talk to Kyuubi who, since Naruto had been captured, remained doormat. The fox had a knack for disappearing in times of need. Naruto hoped it had been to conserve as much energy and chakra to attempt an escape, but he couldn't be sure.

Naruto gave one last glance towards the door, wondering if whatever tactics they were using on Itachi would cause any reaction from the normally stoic Uchiha. He shook that thought away quickly, swallowing the lump of guilt in his throat and squeezing his eyes shut. Naruto had to convince his mind to separate reality from what once was.

Somehow he knew the task wouldn't be an easy one.

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-.-.-.-.-.-

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A/N: I love you all so much. Reviews are always appreciated and thanks for reading! It's the followers that motivate me to keep going when I'm about to give up!


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